Cord-winding device



Ju'l zo, 1943.

G. E. LOFGREN CORD-WINDING DEVICE Original Filed Dec. 12 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 G. E. LOFGREN CORD-WINDING DEVICE July 20, 1943.

2 Shets-$heet 2 Original Fil ed Dec. 12, 1940 ATTORNEY cludes a casing I2 prdvided'withmunners u rorifi supporting the un lt hdrlio'ntally l This airpasses through thexmat ml ,0: thedus 1 m through the} qe mcmotoiand 1; discharged 1 from the caalng' through tion 48 formed on plate 43 to clamp therebetween an electric cord 4! when the plates are in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 5. When the plates are slid relative to each other to the position shown in Fig. 8, suiilcient space is provided between the hook 41 and the projection 48 to remove the cord.

Two arms I ll are pivoted on the rivet 4i and each arm is provided with a slot II adjacent to its outer end. Plate 43 is provided with a slot 52 near either edge andpins or the like 53; which are fixed to plate 42 as by riveting, extend hook 41, the clamp 4| is pulled outwardly a slight distance to permit pivoting oi the arms, and the plate 42 is slid downwardly so as to clamp the cord in place and to retract the arms suihciently so that they will pass through the opening 31.

Sliding oi the plate 42 downwardly with respect the arms. The spring 36 thereupon causes the through the slots Si in the arms, and the slots 52 in plate 43. Plus 53 are engaged by a. spring 54, the midpoint of which passes over the rivet 45.

' in Fig. 5 to that illustrated in Fig. 6. Such movement of the pins 53 causes the arms 50 to pivot about the rivet 45 so that the ends of the arms project beyond the sides of the cord clamp 4|,

spool to rotate'and thus wind the cord upon the hub and between the flanges 33 and 34.

It will thus-be seen that I have provided a cord reel which may be easily attached to a standard vacuum cleaner unit and which requires no movthe slots ii in the arms permitting such pivot- I ing. Inasmuch as pins 3 are secured to plate 42, the pins canmove in this manner only when the plate 42 is slid upwardly with respect to plate 43. vWhen the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 5 the pull or the cord on hook 41 cannot slide the plate 42 upwardly relative to plate 43,

inasmuch as'the pins 53 engage the slots 5| in arms 50 and the latter cannot, pivot upwardly about rivet, 45 .becauseitheir outer. ends are restrained by flanges 33' and 340i the'reel. Hence,

the cord cannot'be accidentally released while the clamp. is within the case.

However, when the clamp is pulled through the opening 31, the

' arms 50 are-"tree to pivot outwardly and hence the plate 42 may he slid upwardly with respect to plate 48, to the position shown'in Fig. 6 in order to releasethe cord. Spring 54 acting on ins-u tends to slide the plates apart and is aided by the pull of the cord on hook 41.

The above-described device operates as follows.

The cord 49 is initially 'wound on the spool 30 opening 11. The plugs 55 and 56 are sufilclently large so thattheywill not pass through this opening. To unwind the cord, the plugs 55 and 'together with the force exerted by spring 54 is now able tomove the parts-to the position shown.

in Fig. 6, where the arms extend beyond the edges of the opening 31 and thus prevent the retraction of theclamp into the casing by the force exerted by the spring 36. "In this position theplate 42 has been slid upwardly with respect to the plate 43 so as to'release the cord fro'm'the hook 41. With the parts in this positlomwhich is illustrated in Fig. 6, the arms '50 cannot he accidentally retracted to within the clamp inas- .much as the pins I; prevent downward pivoting or ,the'arms as long as plate 42 is slid upwardly with respect to plate 4|.

The plug 56 or the cord may then be inserted in a suitable receptacle oi the vacuum cleaner unit, while the plug I5 may .be connected to a convenient outlet. fl

when it is desired to again wind the cord, the central part thereof is placed underneath the with the endsoi. the com extending through the able current-carrying contacts, such as slip rings or the like. In addition, since the cord is wound by engaging the center part, winding both ends done for purposes of illustration only and is not to be considered as limiting the scope or my invention, which is to be determined by the appended claims.

WhatIclahniszy v I l. Ina cord-winding device, stationary strucmm, a reel rotatably mounted thereon, a springsecured to said structure and to said reel so as r to be stressed by rotation of the latter, means cooperating with said reel and said structureior selectively restraining rotation of the reel relative. to said structure bythe stressed spring and releasing the reel for rotation, a cord,

means connected 'to said reel operable tosecure said cord to said reel and to release ittherefrom and means for preventing the second-mentioned means from releasing the cord when the first-mentioned means has released the reel for rotation,

I 2. In a cord-winding device, stationary struc-" I ture, a reel rotatably mounted thereon, a spring selectively restraining rotation of the reel rela-' tive to said structure by the stressed spring and releasing the reel for rotation, a cord, means connected tosaid reel operable to secure said cord to said reel and to release it therefrom, and

means for preventing the first-mentioned means from releasing the real for rotation when the selectively restraining rotation 01 the reel rela-' tive to said structure by the stressed spring and releasing the reel for rotation, a, (:0 d, means connectedto said reel operable to secure said cord to said reel and to release it therefrom, and

means for preventing the second-mentioned means from releasing the cord when the firstmentioned means has-released the reel for rotation and for preventing the first-mentioned means from releasing the reel for rotation when a the second-mentioned means is in cord releasing position,

4. In a cord-winding device, a case, a ropair of arms pivoted on one of said elements and pivotal from a retracted position. in which the clamp may pass through said aperture to an extended position in which the arms project beyond the edges of said aperture, resilient means for yieldably urging said arms to the extended position, and means carried by the other of said elements for preventing pivoting or said arms to the retracted position when said elements are slid to the position opening the clamp and for reventing sliding of said elements to the position opening said clamp when said arms are in retracted position. v

' 12. In a cord-winding device, a'case, a reel rotatabiy mounted within said case, a spring having one end secured to said reel and the other end secured to said case, said case being formed with an aperture in radial alignment with. the periphery of said reel, a cord-securing clamp, 21 fiexiblemember for securing said clamp to said reel of suillcient length so that said clamp may be pulled out through said aperture, said clamp including a pair of elements slidable with respect to each other to open and close the clamp, a pair of arms disposed between said elements and pivoted on one of the elements, a resilient member tending to pivot said arms irom a retracted position in which the clamp may pass through said aperture to an extended position in which the arms project beyond the edges of said aperture, and members carried by the other of said elements and engaging slots formed in said arms whereby pivoting of said arms and sliding of said elements independently of each I other is prevented.

13. 'In a cord-winding device, a casing, a cover for the casing permanently secured thereto, a reel rotatably mounted in said casing, a cord, an electrical connector afllxed to each end ofsaid cord, said casing being formed with an aperture in radial alignment with said reel and of sumcient size to accommodate the cord double but smaller than said connectors, means for releasably securing the center of said cord to said reel comprising a member portion secured to the reel and a member portion connected to the first portion bearing cord holding means, means biasing said cord holding means into a position within said casing, releasable means for holding said cord holding means outside of said casing, and means for rotating said reel and winding said cord double through said aperture on said reel from the center of the cord toward both ends when the center of the cord is connected to the cord holding means and the last mentioned releasable means is released.

14. In a cord-winding device, a casing, a cover for the casing permanently secured thereto, a

s,sa4,711

reel rotatably mounted in said casins, a cord, an

electrical connector ailixed to each end of said cord, said casing being formed with an aperture in radial alignment with said reel and of suflicient size to accommodate the cord double but smaller than said connectors, flexible means secured at one end to said reel and having means releasably securable to the mid point of said cord at its other end, said flexible means being of a size to pass through said aperture, releasable means for holding said cord holding means outside of said casing, means for releasing said last mentioned releasable means when said cord holding means is in cord-retaining position, means including a spring that is connected at one end to said casing and at its other end to said reel and that is stressed in a direction tending to rotate the reel when said cord holdin meansis outside 01' said casing for winding said cord double through said aperture on said reel from the midpoint of the cord toward both ends when the midpoint of the cord is connected to the cord holding means.

15. A cord-winding device comprising a first member, a second member rotatably mounted thereon, a spring connected to both members, said spring being stressed by relative rotation of the members, releasable means for preventing relative rotationof the members, means to releasably secure a cord to' one of said members, and means interlocking said first and second mentioned means to prevent both from being in the releasing position simultaneously;

16. A cord-winding device comprising a casing and a cord reel rotatably mounted therein, a flexible member always in normal operation of the device wrapped around said reel at least a fraction overone turn, means engaging said reel and one end of the flexible member to prevent relative movement therebetween in the wrappingdirection and releasable only by a relative motion therebetween having a radial component, means on the other end of said member for releasably engaging a cord and for releasably engaging the casing, said member being long enough for the last-mentioned means to engage the casing in normal operation of the device and wide enough to assure its overlying the means on the end of the flexible member for engaging the reel and thereby preventing disengagement thereof during normal operation of the device, and spring meansfor producing relative rotation of the casing and reel in a direction to wrap on the reel a cord engaged by the means on theend of the flexible member in the same direction theflexible member is wrapped on the reel.

- GUSTAF EINAR LOFGRE-N. 

